A torch

So much turmoil and wickedness and upset and violence and chaos, and on and on the discriptive list goes of the world we live in.  How thankful I am for the light of the Gospel in my life.  A beckoning beacon that fills me with comfort and peace. 

I think of Lehi and his dream.  His joy and excitement over the fruit of the tree.  His desire to share it with those he loved and cared about the most...his family.  So involved in the goodness of the vision, that Nephi later explained to his wayward brothers, that even though the water was filthiness, their father Lehi's mind was so much  "swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water".

I think of Peter when he focused on the Savior, kept his eye on Him... clear visioned he walked on the water as long as he didn't waver by looking at the storm around him.

I think of a long ago Alaskan winter.  Pitch black.  About a mile walk, on the snowy path, from home to the Church.  I'd been working on decorating a room for a standard night, for one Laurel girl, that would be held the next evening.  Time got away and it was late when I headed home.  It took a bit for my eyes to adjust to the starlight and I started my trudging homeward.  Way, way down the trail I could see a flame held skyward.  "Mom?!  Mom!?  Mom!?"  I hollered back... I'm coming!  I'm coming!

My 13 year old son had made a torch, was concerned that I was gone much to long and might be in some sort of trouble, and had headed out, torch ablaze to find me.  It made me teary then.  It makes me teary now.  His relief was so great, his hug precious, and my gratitude was equally so, for his tender concern.

As we walked on down the trail we noticed how the torch shed a circle of light around us and things looked even blacker beyond that brightness.  Isn't that the gospel?  The light is there and we don't have to get all caught up in the worldliness of these last days, if we will embrace the Light and let it encircle us.

A pestering thought

For days, I've thought of Acts 10:38, where Peter said--John preached, about Jesus being anointed by God with power...

Who went about doing good...

Along with that I've really been haunted by James 4:17...

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,

and doeth it not, 

to him it is sin.

Talks I've read this past week, thoughts I've thought plus ponderings and mullings and musings, all point to the personal need that I am being prompted to pick my "good works" up a notch!  

I need to listen and obey those whisperings and not ignore and procrastinate.  I'm trying to do things that will bring me closer to the Spirit and this is pretty much #1 on my list!

A Memory

I was recently visiting with Gloria and she was telling me about her talk she gave at Church.  I'd not been there and she was sharing parts of it with me.  Her parents were Pentecostal, she was raised in Ogden and through a series of events involving the Church, and activities, and priesthood blessings- she felt watched over and eventually moved and joined the Church in her 20's.

As a convert, I told her I also could look and see that the Lord had blessed me in my life, in preparation to receive the Gospel. I remembered something that was a part of my entire life at my non-LDS home.  A special happening that blessed me always.  It didn't dawn on me for a long time but years later I realized that my Mother really kept the Sabbath Holy.  She had us clean the house up to her high standards on Saturday.   She never wore her weekday work slacks on Sunday but wore a dress, had makeup on her beautiful face and her brown hair just curled and waved to movie star perfection.  There was nice music playing.  There was absolutely no work to be done on Sunday.  It was a day of rest.  She wouldn't even sew, as she said that her Mother told her-- she'd have to pick the stitches out with her nose when she got to Heaven if she sewed a single stitch.

She made sure that my sister and I were dressed for Church.  True, she never took us but she made sure we went each Sunday.  She would tie a dime or 2, in the corner of our clean hankies, for the offering plate that she knew would be passed during the Pastor's pleas for funds to pay his bills, feed his children, and buy everyone shoes.  (I did wonder how much my dime helped him but I did feel good to give and contribute at his plaintive request)

After Church we'd go home to a wonderful family meal.  Sunday she prepared a special meal, not our regular fare, like maybe fried chicken.  Afterwards things weren't quite as sabbath observing as we'd go catch the bus from Spenard into Anchorage and go to whatever Musical movie was featured at the luxurious (to us anyhow) 4th Avenue Theater.  

When we came home we'd eat a bite and then my sister and I would go reenact whatever movie we'd seen, in the outdoor theater that was only in our minds.  As the typical older sister I would direct, do the staging and cast myself as the star.  We'd sing & dance on our sawhorse stage and enjoy every moment of our fun! 

I have always enjoyed Sundays and having a meal together and going to Church together.  My Mother gave me wonderful memories and a great example of keeping the Sabbath Day as Holy as you know how.  

Snowflakes

 I was looking through some newspapers and came upon an article that was fascinating to me about- The Snowflake Man.  Wilson A. Bentley.  A man that was inquisitive about the uniqueness of each snow flake.  "No two snowflakes are alike".  We've all heard that. (His book, Snow Crystals, was published just before his death in 1931.  It's available from Amazon.com)

The article illustration had 18 snowflakes that he'd photographed.  They look like pictures from inside a kaleidoscope.  Exquisite detail.  Breathtakingly beautiful.  

Mr. Bentley "regarded snowflakes as manifestation of the power and majesty of nature."  Another testament of the Lord's attention to detail.  No short cuts even on snowflakes!  He said--"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others."

The article made me go get my Patriarchal blessing because I remembered this line ...Each and every one has different gifts, for no two are the same.  That is one of the great Divine truths, of the greatness of the Divine Creator, for no two are created equal, in every respect, there are differences. 

We are as uniquely individual as are those snowflakes.  God is in the details. We are "miracles of beauty" even more so than lacy snowflakes. We are original, one of a kind, a daughter of God. 

Oh, I just remembered this old article that has some great thoughts in it.  Enjoy! 

President Grant enunciated that, "A Patriarch is a Prophet to the individual as a Prophet is to the Church."

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1986/10/your-patriarchal-blessing-a-liahona-of-light?lang=eng&query=patriarchal+blessing

Friends

There are days that gratitude just fills my heart and today was one of those days!  I'm thankful for many things, as my life has been blessed, in so many ways.  Today I'm thankful for friends. 

I was visiting with my daughter, who just recently returned from a 3 day reunion with 3 girlfriends.  Friends from 27 years ago!  Annually they make the effort to travel and spend some time together, catching up and having fun talking about their individual lives.  3 of the 4 ended up living in FL and one in NY.  One is an actress and they usually plan their reunion around a show that she is featured in so they can see her performance.  All 4 lead different lives even though they are around the same age and at one time 3 of them worked on a Cruise ship together and that is where they met.  Or maybe all 4 of them did.  Wherever.  They have a long shared history of connectedness.

I thought of my longtime friends and my newly acquired friends and it makes me happy to just think about them.

Aren't friends just wonderful?  Today I was with a friend and we were helping another friend and I just loved that time together.  It was a joyous happy funny time, with the 3 of us, and made me think- my life is filled, to the brim, with wonderful people that enrich my life because they love me, just as I am, and allow me to return that favor to them!

"We have grown apart"

If ever I heard of a non-excuse to end a marriage, surely this is the winner!  "We have grown apart".

Even modern day, non-LDS, wedding vows include...for better or for worse.  Snags to work through.  I believe that all marriages have to occasionally be thoroughly and honestly evaluated and overhauled, revamped, re-paired, renewed, and re-invented.  When you read the article below, and I only printed part of it here, it's astounding how good they say their life is and yet they "have grown apart" and want to end the marriage.  They go all out and each year on their anniversary have some big star studded vow renewal and still with all the folderol, all the money, all the fame, and 4 children- they still have "grown apart".

Where is the spunk?  The vim, vigor and determination to figure out how to make these relationships work?  In today's world of instant gratification...Is there no desire, no longing, to hold on to that which is familiar, comfortable and of your own creation?  Are families valueless to most nowadays?

I'm haunted by this article. I find it perplexing, puzzling and sad.  It draws my mind to the reality of this being the last days and I need to again read the Proclamation to the World about families.  There is no better way to center ourselves about the worth of families than reading that document.

I love my marriage and I love my hubby and I never want to drift or grow apart.  I want it to last forever and am willing to tend our relationship by yanking out occasional weeds and replanting glorious plants for us to enjoy.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW YORK (AP) — Seal and Heidi Klum have announced that their storybook marriage is coming to the end of the runway.

In a statement Sunday night, the power couple announced their separation after rumors swirled over the weekend that a divorce was imminent.

"While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul searching we have decided to separate," the joint statement read. "We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition. We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children's sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy."

The couple married in 2005 and has four children together, including the supermodel's daughter from a previous relationship.  (ages 2-7)

Pew Place

Sunday I visited the Ward that our Ward was split off of.  It was nice to see some old friends. A year ago we were blessed with our new building and our paths have seldom crossed.

At the Sacrament Meeting I started to sit down, on the side back bench, in the Chapel.  Before I sat down I asked a man if someone regularly sat there. 

He said-- no.  It doesn't matter though.  I like to disrupt those that want the same pew. 
 
I said-- it does matter to me.

I sat down.  Then the Stake RSP arrived and sat down by me.  She looked over and saw one of her Counselors sitting in the center section and said to me--Let's go over there. She has sat in the same pew for 39 years.

I remembered reading this article earlier ...
 http://www.ldsliving.com/story/67208-poll-wheres-your-pew 

One question on the poll is...
Do you have a family pew?  The answers were...
General area 48%
Specific area 38%
No family pew 14%


As long as I can remember we've sort of landed in the same area in each Ward we've been in.  Habit?  or what?

When we got our new building- most of us were checking out different pew spots for a few weeks, to see about window light, acoustics, podium vision etc.  Then things sort of settled and most of us wound up sitting in the same place each week.

I'm definitely not staking an Alaskan Homestead here and declaring squatters rights but I am used to just popping in and sitting down.  Yes.  In my pew!

Wonder what you think?  I just assumed we all found a niche and for the most part just sat there.  Now, at least from the poll, only 38% feel that way.  It's never been an issue with me as I thought we all liked to sit cozy in our same pew.  At least the same area!  now I'm siding with the 48%!


The most important thing in the world is to just sit down, somewhere and enjoy being together in Sunday worship.